Uconn

UConn guard Bria Hartley scored a game-high 17 points Monday to lead the United States women's basketball to the gold medal at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia with a 90-71 victory over the host Russian team.

Hartley shot 6-for-7 from the field including 2-for-3 from 3-point range for the Americans, who finished the international tournament undefeated at 6-0.

UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 15 points for the U.S. Hartley and Mosqueda-Lewis also finished as the two leading scorers overall in the tournament for the Americans. Hartley led the team with a scoring average of 13.5 points and also finished second on the team in assists (20) and steals. Mosqueda-Lewis averaged 13.0 points per game and was third on the team in steals with eight.

The tournament MVP honors were shared by U.S. guard Odyssey Sims from Baylor and Russia's Tatiana Grigoryeva. Sims scored 10 points in the title game and finished third on the team in scoring for the tournament, averaging 12.7 points. She led the U.S. in assists (32) and steals (12).

In the title game, the U.S held Russia to 41.6 percent shooting including just 31.4 percent in the first half. The Americans also forced 20 turnovers that led to 27 points. Hartley and Sims had two steals apiece.

"Coach Coale told us there were three things we were going to have to do defensively," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "that was stay in a stance, close out and rebound, and I think we did those three things pretty well throughout the whole game. We made sure that we always had the upper hand against Russia."

Mosqueda-Lewis said she had a great overall experience that should definitely help her prepare for her junior season at UConn.

"I can't really describe the feeling," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "Being able to win with this group of girls and to come together so quickly and play as well as we did, it's pretty awesome for us. I definitely think I've been able to grow up this summer. I had to play the (power forward), be in ther ewith the big guys, and it definitely got me to widen my game. I was able to inside-out. That definitely helped a lot."

Three other UConn players, last year's freshmen Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson, are currently playing overseas for USA Basketball.

In preparation for the FIBA U19 World Championship in Lithuana from July 18-28, the U.S. team finished play in the round robin Lanzarote International Tournament in the Canary Islands on Sunday undefeated at 3-0. Stewart led the Americans in scoring in the three games with her 10.3-point average. Tuck was third on the team in scoring over the three games with a 9.7-point average. Jefferson led the U.S. in assists with nine, second-best in the tournament overall.

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